The English Chamber Orchestra (= ECO), has its roots in the Goldsbrough Orchestra, founded in 1948 by Lawrence Leonard and Arnold Goldsbrough. The group took its current name in 1960, when it expanded its repertoire from outside the Baroque period for the first time.

The ECO is one of the world's most celebrated ensembles. It is London's only full-time chamber orchestra, undertaking a busy schedule of recording sessions and concert appearances at home and abroad, including its prestigious London Concert Series presented by the English Chamber Orchestra & Music Society under the patronage of HRH The Prince of Wales.